Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-02-12

effect which the flute of the Pied Piper
had upon the children of Hamelin, and |
dropped down upon the deck below. where
was at once absorbed in the shadow and
sat listening for hours TO sounds which,
under other circumstances, might have
grated very harshly upon my by no means
sensitive ear. The little band consisted of
a small drum, base drum, an ACCORDION,
a flute and a cornet, and two kinds of
| whisky-Scotch and Bourbon-the two
latter being played upon by the audience
as well as the performers. Such is the
brief glimpse | can give you of the home
and home life on board a great steamer
which for three weeks keeps on her course
| with no land to be seen save on the day of
| farewell to America and the day of greet
| ing to Asia.
| A STORM AT SEA-
The storm king was with us for time
on our voyage. and he and his courtiers
have held high carnival, fair Salida splash
| ing one wave completely over our smoke
stack as she drove past us with her hun
dred waves, roaring, lion shaped with
white names. The sky was wild and
broken, with cloud waves dashed by the
wind into tempest as fierce as that which
ragged about US on the sea. Pitching and
rolling, but with that easy recovery from
| the shock which is peculiar to a steel YES
sci, the Gaelic plunged with undated
speed through hills and valleys, now high up
on the crest and then, las if aobut to disappear
beneath the next on-rolling mass, would
gracefully rise again, trembling in every
part Eor two days the wind sang his
dreary song and whistled through the
rigging, while the water gave everything a
coating of salt, until the great bow of prom
Use appeared and the sun set in glory of
| color with mountains, castles and colossal
towers andigiants with dragons, grotesque
| and brilliant as those upon the embroidered
| scenes of the Orient. Then came the new
moon with horns upturned, floating like
a golden boat amid the clouds. The waves
went down, the clouds dropped from sight
below the horizon, and in flood of heav-
| emily light, amid the Ginning of the bells,
| the new year came and the old year went
Within few miles of us lie those little
| points of dry land known as the Midway
Islands, where the American ship Saginaw
was lost, and lately the Dunotter Castle
These islands are but mounds of sand, with
scarcely any altitude, and no vegetation,
PROTECTED BY CORAL REEFS
From the ocean storms. These smooth Ia
goons in mid ocean have strange effect
especially when the surf is breaking high
all around them. Myriads of sea- gulls live
! upon them, being the only tenants for the
little house built years ago by the Pacific
Mail Company, when they thought to use
this as a coaliag station, where coal might
be stored and taken on by the steamers in
passing. Near here our two friendships.
Lecks and Mrs. Aleshine-were cast away,
and as | saw no sign of the Du-
santes, I can tell anxious readers of
Z" The Century Magazine" that they have
not yet in all probability, returned. When
was in school learned that King Canute
commanded the waves or tide to roll back
before him, though this is, | believe, denied
by the wise men of to-day. | noted a
case this afternoon in which time usually
classed with tide in its non-conformity to
mans will was hustled along quite uncer
enormously. The Captain sent these words
to the purser: January LIST, Saturday
Tomorrow will be Monday, January 3d."
This frolic with old Father Time always
takes place upon crossing the 1909 longi-
tude, and last year, when coming from
Asia to America, the fantastic trick was
played upon me, of being given two birth
Gays, and this year | lack but one day of
not having any at all.
SUNSHINE AFTER STORM.
When the sun shines there is a general
The Chinaman at sea, even in pleasant
weather, has to be driven on deck to get
the fresh air, preferring to remain below,
and if he were allowed his own way
would pass the long four weeks
of his monotonous voyage crowded into
the steerage cabins; with regard for his
health and the cleanliness of the ship. the
men in charge, in a fatherly way, insist
npon his receiving this benefit. A sunny
day after a rain shows from the upper deck
a scene of life and hustle below quite in
esting to watch. Carpets from the cabin,
which have been wet through some forgot
ten portfolio, lie drying amid collections OF
rubber boots and clothing, while walking
about or squatting upon the deck the blue
bloused voyagers chatter and eat diminu
tive peanuts or peculiar cakes of rice -four.
They cannot help but be picturesque. in
their negligent, natural postuIing and Mu-
rillo coloring.
THE GAMBLING CHINESE.
Upon the deck have been placed several
straw mats, and about them sit groups of
men intent upon some game. A party
near me is engaged in game of dice, the
dice being thrown from the hand into
round bowl and by their various comhina-
tons causine the tin bits, which represent
coin values, to pass from one man
to another with remarkable rapid
ity; these bits of tin, | am
told are turned into money at
the end of the journey. Another group
are at dominoes, and another, with much
merriment, play game with cards about
the length and width of the first finger.
Entering the Storage panionway, and
descending somewhat steep flight of steps,
one finds himself in a large room lighted
Nv oil ri liuI, ct NJ. h
the impression made upon the visitor by
this room is first of its resemblance to
country store, and then, as he looks down
the long aisles lined on either side by shelf
hunks, an uDcanny suggestion of the cata-
combs of st. CaliXtus forces itself upon
him. Strings of dried pieces of meat or
oily ducks are pendant from all available
points, tins of various sizes, and square
boxes with Chinese labels, baskets, UNI
brellas, and bit of almost everything
fancy quilts, and those brilliant calico in
ventions know as comforters,' adorn the
hunks, looking perhaps as st. Calixtus did
when occupied by the Christians. In an
other room is a pile of Chinese coffins, upon
which one fellow is coolly taking his meal
of rice seemingly quite obIivious to the
fact that he may fill one of them before
his far-olf home is reached be is evidently
nearly dead with consumption. All Chi
namen dying at sea are embaimed and
placed in coffin, number of which are
always on board. In one corner is a pen
of sheep huddled closely together, and
among them see the one black spoiler of
the flock; COW which gives good milk,
canaries, Chinese hooking birds, dog and
cat complete the list within this modern
ark, which makes voyage half as long as
that famous one of Noah of ante and post
deluvian days.
THE PEOPLE IN THE sTEERAGE
Are divided into messes, each mess choos-
ing man to fetch the food from the gal
ley, where rice, tea potatoes and meat are
served out. l remember that during one
trip | made there were $1,000 pounds Of
rice alone served out to the Chinese passen-
gers. When to these rations are added the
preserved meats and delicacies which form
the major part o. each mans luggage, one
can forIu an idea of the Celestial comfort to
be found at sea- The Chinese females oc-
eupy room set aside for them and the
children in the steerage, in the fore part of
the ship, and seldom if ever do any of them
make their appearance on deck, but when
they do. the gay coloring of their embroid-
| cred robes and the trembling tinsel orna-
ments on the head add much to the effect.
/ have in my mind now group of women
Il ALI